When you "reach for the stars" today it may mean reaching in your pocket to get the latest news on your mobile phone. This is the blog of the Emerging Technologies in Journalism course at the University of Missouri.

Monday, March 9, 2015

At the Mobile World Congress, Sandisk has unveiled their
newest memory card, which will provide phones with much more memory space. The
new Ultra microSDXC UHS-I will provide users with 200GB of storage on all of
the smart phones on display at MWC.

This is an increase from their last memory card of 128GB,
giving it a 56 percent increase in storage space. It will have the same
features such as being shock proof and waterproof.

“Ideal for Android smartphone and tablet users, this Premium Edition microSD card combines the world’s highest capacity and blazingly fast transfer speed of up to 90MB/s to deliver premium performance. At this transfer speed, consumers can expect to move up to 1,200 photos per minute.”

I found this incredible because I know for me storage space
is something I constantly have to be checking, and if I could hold 200GB of
space I would never have that problem. I could have as much music, photos and
video on my phone as I wanted.

This also opens up the use of mobile in media outlets. As people can hold more media on their phones, they can be more mobile. This change will create many new opportunities for media outlets and they're move towards mobile production.

Sunday, March 8, 2015

In the age of tablets, smart phones, Ipads you get trends that have to fit the upcoming technology. And with the advancements of mobile cameras, you got the rise of the selfie. If you don't know, the selfie is taken when an individual takes a picture of him or herself.

At the Mobile World Congress this past week, where selfie-takers were in abundance, a Swedish company unveiled a new technology that allows people to take selfies and print their selfies in 3-d.

Now according to one article, this technology seems to excite experts more via potential than current usages. Or in other words, there are many possible future uses of immediate 3-d printing of pictures just taken.

There seem to be many question marks regarding this kind of technology. Like the article poses, how much more useful would a 3-d images be to people than what is present right now? How would having a 3-d printed model of your selfie be more useful than the current selfie?

But I got to thinking, being able to 3-d print, not just selfies, but any photos off your smart phone can have its positives.

I mean, just imagine....you want to replicate/build an object. Copying a figure will have its benefits over copying a photo. Or maybe you want to advertise an object that is not mobile, instead of just showing photos, you can show an exact replica that can fit inside your pocket.

So while many might not see the potential of 3-d printing... just know, some companies depend solely on this technology.

Friday, March 6, 2015

With the recent cloud storage issues that showed that public that your personal storage space is not so...personal, it's no surprise that tech companies have been looking for ways to ensure these features have more security. Companies like Ericsson and Cleversafe have finally been able to provide "next-generation data solutions," according to their latest innovations. According to CleverSafe these solutions have the ability to provide next generation software that will finally allow a data storage service that companies can trust. Exhibitor Online News says the next-generation data center infrastructure solution provides telecom operators the ability to, "offer new cloud storage solutions, addressing security and governance concerns that, until now, have slowed the full adoption of cloud by the world’s largest enterprises."These extensive measures to ensure that cloud security is the result of a fiasco that Apple, Inc. faced when many of its iCloud users accounts were compromised and attacked by hackers. This scandal not only affected everyday individuals who no trusted that their information was safe but also celebrities who faced much controversies due to sexually explicit photos being released. It's safe to say after these previous issues, many have been left with distrust in how and what they save to their cloud storage.Ericsson and Cleversafe now offer the opportunity for trust in the cloud system to be regained, and for companies to continue to use these services. While it's unsure if the companies can live up to their very secure data storage solutions, we know that their has been extensive research done to make sure that a issue similar to the Apple fiasco won't occur.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

One of the biggest overarching topics at the Mobile World Congress this year was privacy. The MWC led was a seminar entitled "Ensuring User-Centred Privacy in a Connected World." Several bloggers, businesses, reviewers, journalists and social media users have weighed in on this topic. Below I have a small sections of tweets that I have clipped simply using the privacy hashtag of #MWC15PRIV.

One of the questions that I began to ask myself is with all this device connection where is the weakest point? Where is the privacy at the biggest risk of exposure. From my personal research not many articles discusses the points of technology associated with risk factor. However, apps that involve using personal information and credit cards have higher risks for attack.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

As cameras are becoming smaller, they are becoming more versatile and easier to use in all situations. For many people with active lifestyles, one investment this year was a GoPro camera. These cameras are small and built for many outdoor and mobile situations, making it easy to shoot with their lightweight frame but high quality video content is still obtained. These cameras range generally from $129.99 to $499.99.

However, a new option for lightweight cameras hit the market at the Mobile World Congress. The Xiaomi Yi action camera starts at $64.00 The downside is that it will only be available in China... as of now.

The Yi Action Camera records video at 1080p and includes a 16-megapixel camera that uses Sony’s highly rated Exmor R BSI CMOS image sensor according to Techcrunch.com. They also say that that’s superior on paper to the Hero, which records at 1080p30 or 720p60 and includes a five-megapixel camera.

"Xiaomi also beats the Hero on memory (its 64 GB allocation is twice as large), and weight (it is 72g compared to 111g), while it has a slightly larger battery," said Gadgetdarbar.wordpress.com. Similar to GoPro's Hero, the Yi can go as far as 40 meters underwater, which is the biggest draw to those who love to go near or out in the ocean with a camera.

According to Allyvv.wordpress.com, it says that the new camera takes 16-megapixel stills, a backside-illuminated Sony sensor, a 155 degree wide-angle lens, 3D noise reduction and digital image stabilization, which certainly sets it apart.Time.com even says in one of their headlines that "this is the camera that could kill GoPro."

With only differences in the processing power and the Phone’s camera, HTC One M9 is set to appear by March 15. HTC announced the much awaited news at the MWC 2015 in Barcelona, Spain

Valentina Palladino, tomsguide.com staff explored the unique specs as to how the M9 comes with an upgraded Snapdragon 810 processor and the rear camera having a 20-megapixel lens that’s covered in scratch-resistant sapphire glass. The front-facing camera is now UltraPixel quality and supports HD video recording. HTC has also updated its Sense UI to Sense 7, Sense 7 gets even more personal by letting you create your own themes.

Vlad Savov on the Verge.comdescribed the HTC One M9 as the big MWC debutant other than Samsung Galaxy S6. Claude Zellweger, the HTC Industrial design Chief said that, HTC is willing to make that sacrifice to accomodate a larger and more powerful camera, the central positioning of the camera in claiming that our bump is minimal and it's elegant,"integrating with the overall design instead of disrupting it. The new features are like the phone is slightly smaller, easier to hold and dolby boom sound for the audio lifting, says Alex Dobie, on androidcentral.com

According to New York Times blogger Molly wood, the new HTC One looks to be just as cool, different and lovable as its predecessors, but HTC needs more than a cult hit right now. It needs a blockbuster.

The South Korean technology failed to achieve raise eyebrows because of the leaks,
but gives consumers two new high-end mobile phones. Samsung tries to retrieve
the path to leadership.

Samsung took the risk and try to put the
highest bar than the competition - especially the iPhone - to bet on a mobile
phone with a different concept. The Galaxy S6 Edge has a wider screen, which
runs through the side edges of the smartphone, which promises to bring some
more information to the user. But for those who do not like big adventures, the
"traditional" Galaxy S6 presents itself as the equipment to be taken
into account.

The processor is at the heart of the changes,
using for the first time, the first processor Exynos Samsung 14nm, one octacore
with 64-bit platform, which guarantees power and reduce energy consumption and
thinner. 3 GB of RAM, a new LPDDR4 system memory and flash memory UFS 2.0
combine to make the fastest equipment, but the shared improvements also extend
to the back camera of 16 megapixels with F1.9 lens, and the front of 8 MP. And
there is the new simplified interface, color-coded, which aims to improve the
level of access to the functions and applications.

But the really good news is the battery: Samsung assures
that only 10 minutes for a load that can last for 4 hours. And a full charge
takes half the time of that make an iPhone. In addition there is a clear focus
on wireless charging, now that the technology is more mature.

Regarding prices according toAndroidpit.com the Galaxy S6 costs around 800 USD for 32 GB, 900 USD for 64 GB anda 1000 USD for 128 GB. Yethe Galaxy S6 Edge comes with a price tag
of around 950 USD for the 32 GB version. The 64 GB version will cost
around 1050 USD and the 128 GB version will be around 1150 USD.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Fitbit isn’t the only
company breaking onto the wearable devices scene. HTC announced it’s been
dabbling in a few new and trendy technologies including virtual reality and
wearable technology at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain on Sunday.

According to New York Times blogger Molly Wood, the wristlet, called the HTC Grip, blossomed from a
partnership with Under Armour to help develop various fitness devices for Under
Armour’s UA Record fitness app.

Although this wearable has
many smart watch functions that give the user access to phone, messages, email
and their calendar, according to the Sydney Morning Herald reporter Hannah Francis, HTC is marketing this solely as a fitness device.

The Grip provides a
multi-sport mode that gives the user the ability to track different activities
such as cycling or running. “Grip will train you as if you have a team of
professional experts coaching you the entire time,” HTC CEO Peter Chou said.

HTC is marketing the Grip
for “serious athletes,” but one reviewer, Darren Orf of GIZMODO, argues that it might get in the way of a servious workout. "But the thing is if you are a "serious athlete" and you're running, jumping, skiing, cycling, snowshoeing, whatever, this thing will probably be banging around your arm, which is a big wearable pet peeve," Orf said.

The Grip also includes the ability to track sleeping patterns, but Orf continues, "I'd imagine sleeping with this thing would be pretty uncomfortable."

Although the Grip is one of the only bands to add in GPS, it
lacks a heart rate monitor. The watch is said
to make an appearance in stores in spring for $199.

From the Huawei Watch, which will link to your Android device to receive calendar notifications, emails and even texts, according to CNN, to the much-hyped Samsung Galaxy S6 that many think may rival the iPhone's popularity, there is no shortage of new toys to add to your next birthday wish list. A trend emerging from this year's conference is wearable technology. This is no surprise, considering how society increasingly moves towards quicker, faster and smaller technology that they can take with them and use in the hustle and bustle of their day. Another hot ticket item, Pebble Time, was funded through Kickstarter, which demonstrates just how influential the public's voice is when it comes to what technology they crave.

Blogger Maddie Cook of AirWatch Connect highlighted Samsung and Android's increased presence at the gathering, noting that it looks like the company is poised to become a leader in the mobile technology industry.

It looks like consumers are getting what they want from technology companies, as simple devices like watches and phones continue to grow in capability and allow people to do more than ever while on the move.

Fitbit has recently gained enormous popularity among the masses, but although Fitbit may be the wearable technology that people are most familiar with, it was not the wearable technology that stole the show at this year’s Mobile World Congress – that honor goes to the Huawei Watch.

The Huawei Watch is an Android Wear smartwatch that, unlike other smartwatches, actually resembles a watch with its round face and stainless steal body. Watch designer Ben Norton said he hopes the resemblence to a traditional watch will attract more consumers than other, less traditional-looking smartwatches.

"I had this opportunity to start designing smartwatches, and had a vision shared by many of my colleagues to have a smartwatch that was very much like a traditional watch," Norton said in an interview with The Verge. "We just believe that the consumer wants an actual watch that feels like a watch."

The reveal of the Huawei Watch came just a week before the reveal of the Apple smartwatch, which Tom's Hardware has called, "the most compelling accessory to an iPhone ever created".

But the price of the Apple smartwatch is less compelling; the least expensive model will cost $349. The cheapest version of the Huawei Watch, on the other hand, is only $189. With a price tag like that, Apple may find itself competing to be at the forefront of the wearable technology industry.